Attack of the Pox

Gideon was down with a slight fever on Wednesday evening so Terence decided to let him skip school the next day - much to Gideon's delight of course! On top of that, Terence took him to his very first movie at GV Tampines Mall - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It was after the movie that Terence discovered some small spots on Gideon's tummy - straight to Dr Sim. It is Chicken Pox! Was worried sick being thousands of miles away in Zurich - was he in pain; itching; aching; high fever??? The reply sms I got : "Don't worry. He said "Yahooooo!" when Dr said no school the next 2 weeks." And this was the face that greeted me when I got home this morning...Incidentally, the meeting went alright. Long story short : the "future" looks ok for now though not sure how I will cope with the slightly new structure. We'll see...

Que Sera Sera

Well, in not much of a mood to write this weekend. Will be leaving for Zurich tomorrow and I've decided to go straight from the office - to make it less traumatic for me and Gideon. Hate the sight of him sobbing whenever I walk through the immigration doors. This trip is a little question mark for me as I'm supposed to be discussing "my future" and of course, there's the Corporate Marketing meeting. For some reason, I don't have very good vibes but Que Sera Sera... the future should be clear by the time I fill my next post. Wish me luck!

March Full of Birthdays!

March is definitely a month filled with birthdays - well at least for me. We spent almost every Saturday this month welcoming a new-born at a hospital. There's Liam Simon, Ryan & Ashlynn. And of course there was Terence's and our godson Jerome's birthdays on the 15th. It was such a busy day at work, I only managed to get Terence's present at 5pm! It was either a pair of Tag Heuer sunglasses or something from Mont Blanc. It was Mont Blanc eventually... and he likes it (of course, as Julian says, he could always "pretend" he likes it :-( Anyways I like it, and BIG watches are IN now, no?

And there was Jerome's birthday on Saturday. The kids turned the Safra bungalow upside down. Time flies, Jerome turned 8! I can still remember all the excitement since he was the first-born in the gang. This just means we're getting older, isn't it?

By the way, Gideon was sulking and refused to be in the picture (read : Why are you forcing me! I don't want to take photo!!!!!!!!!)

Grumpy G

How quickly children grow. Of late, Gideon has been acting and speaking like an adult! I hear and see myself sometimes 'cos he emulates us adults. And yes, he tells you when he's unhappy and says things like, "I don't understand why you like to force me to do this!" That "Talk of the Month" face is the face that usually follows... arggggh!

Ankara Awoken

The order of my Turkey posts is kinda weird, I know. All due to collating photos from a few cameras. Well, more on Ankara, Turkey. Swissotel Ankara is right smack in the heart of a residential neighbourhood - think Holland Village minus the happening restaurants and nightspots. Strange one might think but apparantly, many businessmen choose the hotel simply cos it's away from the main city. Ask around which is the capital city of Turkey and almost everyone will tell you it's Istanbul. Wrong. It's actually Ankara!

The WW Conference certainly awoken the Swissotel neighbourhood. Mid-afternoon games held right outside the hotel during one of the coffee breaks at a temperature of about below 10 degrees. That certainly got the neighbourhood peeking from their windows. We were given Michelin-looking wind breakers - so huge we looked like odd shaped snowmen getting together for afternoon tea.

And the night tour to the Ataturk museum was really cool. The musuem grounds are actually closed in the evening but special arrangements were made just for the Swissotel group! Ataturk is highly revered as the "father" of Turkey and the museum showcases his glorious battles and bits of his private life.

I think there were lots more of Ankara we missed. And despite its understatedness as compared to Istanbul, I am sure Ankara will emerge as a thriving city very soon.

Turkish Delights

Taking advantage of the WW Conference in Ankara, the team stopped over at Istanbul for a night at one of Swissotel's best hotels - Swissotel The Bosphorus, Istanbul. We arrived on a Sunday and packed a day of shopping (the Grand Bazaar was closed, unfortunately), sight-seeing and eating. We visited the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and adventured to local eateries for breakfast and dinner.

The amazing view from my room...

For those of you planning your next holiday, Istanbul is definitely worth a visit simply for its exotic(ness) and spectacular sights.

Swissotel Worldwide Conference 2007 - Turkey

This year's conference in Ankara, Turkey marked the first after the Raffles International (RIL) era. The split of the Raffles and Swissotel brands meant leaner teams, tighter resources and for some, transfers to a different brand. For me, I was fortunate to remain in Swissotel. For the past 8 months or so, there were lots to be done and learnt. Different bosses meant different management and work styles. Bottom line - most survived. And this conference is especially symbolic as it shows how well the Red team did, under all that pressure and constraints. For the Singapore team, the long distance "relationship" with Zurich worked out; and much was achieved. From department restructures to the revamp of Club Swiss Gold and the entire brand's collateral, Red Team East did well.

The conference was an opportunity for many to put the face to the name finally! For me, it was a chance for the young Singapore team to present itself to the "world" as they personify the many accomplishments since the restructure. I am proud of them! Since my first WW conference in Bangkok when I first joined RIL, I wondered if there will come a day when I could have the opportunity to make presentations, strike up conversations or even get to know our GMs well. I look back now with a smile - knowing I've done all that! I've been recognised for my work, all thanks to Petra, a strong, assertive boss, yet one who never fails to find time to tell us how well we've done. That all important "pat on the back" which many often forget. And of course, I am tremendously blessed with many wonderful bosses I've worked with in the company - Jack, Mr Ong, Mr Muhlemann, Mr McAuley... without whom I couldn't have achieved today's success.

And this is me with Jack and my award for Best New Concept, which I dedicate to my team, Petra and my ex-bosses...